NOWRA CBD could become a Wi-Fi hotspot as part of a new nationwide network next year.

In 2011 Nowra businessman and former Shoalhaven Business Chamber president John Lamont pushed for free Wi-Fi throughout the Nowra CBD.

The idea never got up because of hardware and maintenance costs, and businesses being unsure of sharing their own broadband.

“This new proposal is great, the hardware is going to be there,” Mr Lamont said.

“Business owners can pair off some of their own Wi-Fi and the customers can use their personal broadband account. I love that it won’t affect an individual business’s internet bill.

“It’s a bit of a marketing and subscriber coup for Telstra but it is a great use of technology,” he said.

Mr Lamont said the business chamber would support the idea to ensure Nowra was on the Wi-Fi map.

Shoalhaven City Council economic development manager Greg Pullen expected Nowra would be considered because of its size. “I would also think some coastal villages like Huskisson would benefit from it.”

The project will mean mobile internet devices will be able to access two million Wi-Fi hotspots around Australia. The network will offer Telstra home broadband customers the option to share a portion of their bandwidth with other Telstra Wi-Fi customers.

In exchange they can access their own home broadband allowance at the new Telstra hotspots.

Non-Telstra customers will be able to pay for a day pass to connect to the system.